Cold Cases: A Solid Ground Companion
by Lord of Kavaka
Summary: A series of little vignettes of how the members of the 12th Precinct are coping with the disappearance of Detective Kate Beckett and Mr. Richard Castle. Takes place concurrently with Ch 18 of SOLID GROUND.
1. Gates

**Cold Cases: A Solid Ground Companion**

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**Gates**

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The precinct wasn't the same without them.

For one, things were a lot quieter with out Richard Castle around. She remembered there being laughter in the bullpen, but now everyone seemed so somber, a collective cloud of sadness hanging over all of them. Despite her initial misgivings about the unorthodox partnership, those two were actually one of the best crime solving pairs she'd ever seen. And she truly did miss them. Even Mr. Castle. Detective Beckett may have been a pain in the ass at times, but she was one hell of an investigator, probably one of the best there ever was. Her tenacity and hardnosed determination had made the 12th Precinct Homicide squad one of the NYPD's most effective units. No one could replace her, yet with her missing, they were operating under manned.

Four months had passed since they'd gone missing, and all official search and rescue operations had petered out. The airline company had long since gone into PR damage control and was blaming it on pilot error. In truth, no one really knew what had happened. Miss Castle, however, was still hard at it, refusing to give up. The young woman had a passion and drive that were hard not to admire.

At present, the workload was light, only a few teams had ongoing cases, so Gates had assigned Detectives Ryan and Esposito to review some cold cases during their down time… idle hands, and all that. They'd set up in the conference room with several boxes of files and were slowly combing through them. Dr. Parish had joined them to go over the autopsy reports.

"How are things going?" Gates asked, stopping by after making a trip to the break room to get herself a cup of coffee. She may not have approved of Mr. Castle all the time, but she had to appreciate the man's respect for a good cup of joe.

The trio looked up. "Slow," Esposito answered.

"Most of these reports are from back before we typed everything up on the computer," Ryan added.

Lanie inclined her head. "And people say doctor's have terrible handwriting."

"Well, keep at it," Gates said, before ducking back out and marching into her office.

She closed the door, and walked over to her desk, putting her coffee mug down before sitting. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she took in a deep breath. She was loathed to admit it, but her on the job stress had only seemed to increase once Beckett and her writer had disappeared. It was odd really, since Gates usually blamed her high blood pressure on those two, especially Mr. Castle.

At first, she couldn't understand what it was that such an intelligent and hardworking woman such as Detective Kate Beckett could see in such a man as Richard Castle. But as she observed them over the course of two years, Gates couldn't help but notice how the tension in the detective's shoulders would lessen and she'd smile more when Mr. Castle was around. She had to admit, the man was good for Beckett, even if Gates found him to be an irritating annoyance.

Sighing, Gates rolled her shoulders and leaned forward, picking up her cellphone and thumbing through her contacts. Thinking of the obvious love those two shared made her think of her husband, and the way he'd help her relax. She'd witnessed how a tense and frustrated Detective Beckett could relax by just listening to Mr. Castle weave some fantastical story while assisting the team in building theory. It reminded her of how just hearing her husband's voice could calm her.

She held up her cell to her ear and listened to it ring. He answered within second, as always.

"Hi, honey, it's Vicky," she murmured, smiling slightly. "Yeah. I just needed to hear your voice.

* * *

_*A/N: Just a little companion piece to SOLID GROUND. The idea came to me after receiving a PM from **codedriver**. Originally I was going to just insert this at a brief interlude chapter into SOLID GROUND, but didn't want to disrupt the main story by jumping back and forth between the island and New York. So, I decided to post it separately. Each little chapter will involve a member of the 12th._


	2. Ryan

**Cold Cases: A Solid Ground Companion**

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**Ryan**

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He looked over the grainy crime scene photos, trying to focus on reviewing the particulars of the cold case, but all he could think about was his missing friends. Kevin Ryan liked to think of himself as an optimist. No matter how dark things got, there was always light at the end of the tunnel. That was his philosophy. He'd been one of the few to have a front row seat to the unorthodox partnership/relationship that had quickly blossomed between his friend and colleague, Detective Kate Beckett, and the best-selling mystery author Richard Castle, who'd become one of his closest friends.

It had been interesting to watch. Ryan had been there for all the ups and downs. He probably didn't know half of what had actually happened, but he knew enough to be able to gauge when things had been off. The first sign that things were bad between the two was when the teasing stopped. Ryan could still clearly remember the time a year ago when Castle had turned cold and clinical whenever Beckett had been around. Those had been tough days. Both Javi and him knew something had gone wrong—terribly wrong—but they'd been left in the dark, only to guess.

Ryan couldn't speak for his friend, but no matter the outcome, he'd been determined to remain friends with both Castle and Beckett despite the schism between them. Whatever it was that had come up between them that had caused Castle to temporarily shadow another detective (which Ryan was not afraid to admit he'd taken personally—it had almost been like he had been cheating on them), it had been resolved, because soon Castle was back to teasing Beckett and attempting to drive her crazy with his wild theories. Ryan would be the first to admit that sometimes he was a little too gullible. Though, he'd been genuinely pleased that Castle's zombie theories weren't serious, but were, in fact, meant to drive Beckett nuts. It had felt like old times, and Ryan could help but smile at that.

Becoming friends with Rick Castle had come as a somewhat surprise to Kevin Ryan. It just sort of happened. One day he'd been Beckett's annoying, but sometimes amusing, tag-along, and then the next day he'd become part of the team, a friend and colleague. Ryan often found himself siding with Castle whenever they came across a case with a particularly weird vibe to it. Esposito had once called him mini-Castle. He had taken it as a compliment, instead of the barb it had been intended as.

If Ryan had had more say over his groomsmen, then Castle would have been part of the bridal party. But Jenny's family had been quite insistent on some things. So, he'd relented when Mr. O'Malley handpicked his best man. Javi had been miffed about it, as he had believed he should've been the best man—to which Ryan had readily agreed—but he hadn't wanted to get into a fight over it just before the wedding, wanting everything to be perfect for his lovely bride.

Ryan remembered the wedding reception so well, mainly because he couldn't forget any second of the first moments Jenny Scout Duffy O'Malley had become Jenny Ryan. Both Castle and Beckett had shown up minus a plus one, and appeared to have decided to simply be one another's plus one. It had been the first time he'd seen them behave in a manner that so obviously screamed 'we both secretly want to be more than friends'. Jenny had noticed it too, and had leaned close, whispering in his ear, "Is it true there's a running bet at the precinct about when those two finally admit they're crazy about one another?"

When Beckett returned from her suspension, something had been different. They'd all noticed. Esposito had tried to get Lanie to talk, but they were still sort of on the outs, so no dice there. It eventually came out that Beckett had a new boyfriend, and she was keeping him a secret, which of course drove Ryan and his best bud crazy. They even got Castle to help them tease her about it.

But then came that case, the one that Castle had stumbled upon while he was up in the Hamptons for a weekend writing getaway. Ryan would never forget that one interrogation. Once he found out that Castle had a woman with him, the pieces just started to fall into place. So he kept pounding the guy for information, relentless and unyielding, until it was crystal clear that the woman who'd accompanied the famous mystery novelist Richard Castle was Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD.

"_Son of a—"_

He'd been so shocked and surprised. Yet, at the same time, there had always been a small part of him that had known. It had been the little things—the lingering looks and touches, the quiet words and slight blushes. They clearly had chemistry, and they had, in fact, seemed to be _a lot_ closer after her suspension. In truth, he'd been happy for them. He considered both to be close friends. And they both deserved to be happy. So, he didn't out their secret, respecting their privacy.

Ryan sighed, and shook his head, trying to rid himself of this melancholy. But it couldn't be helped. He missed them, deeply. Solving cases, especially the weird ones, just wasn't the same. That's why he was sort of happy that Captain Gates had assigned them to look over cold cases while they didn't have any active case to investigate. It gave him something to do, to distract him from the two empty chairs a couple of desks over from his. Knitting his eyebrows together, Ryan tried to concentrate on the file in front of him, only vaguely hearing the frustrated groan of his colleague, as he put one file down and reached for another.


	3. Lanie

**Cold Cases: A Solid Ground Companion**

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**Lanie**

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"Ugh! Why are we even doing this!?" Esposito growled as he shoved the papers away from him. He stood up, chest heaving with pent up emotion, and then slumped back down in his chair, burying his face in his hands.

"Javi… come on, man, you know… we always work cold cases when we don't have an active case," Kevin said, trying his best, but not really helping.

"I know that!" Esposito all but snapped at his friend. Ryan looked at him with big eyes, and he sighed, giving a shake of his head and raising his hand in apology. "Sorry, bro, I'm just stressed out."

"We all are, baby," Lanie soothed, leaning over to run a comforting hand down Esposito's arm. Her heart clenched in anguish to see him so upset. Out of all of them, he'd known Kate the longest, had seen her at her highest and lowest points. He probably knew her the best, saved for Rick Castle.

Esposito looked up at her with big watery eyes, but like the macho man he was, he refused to let the tears out. She sympathized with him. But sometimes Lanie wished he'd just let go of his stubborn male pride and just cry. He really needed the emotional release. She could tell that everyday that passed without any news of their friends only made things more difficult for him.

The official search may have ceased, but Lanie wasn't ready to give up on her friends. When she had free time, she'd go to Kate's old apartment, where Alexis was now staying, and would help little Castle in her search for her loved ones. It warmed Lanie's heart to see how much Alexis's attitude towards Kate had changed. The young woman had once blamed the Detective for everything that had gone wrong between Beckett and her father. Now, Alexis was willing to fully acknowledge that relationships were a two way street.

"I was jealous at first," Alexis had confessed one night to Lanie. "Which is silly, really… since my relationship with Dad is entirely different. But, it… it had always just been my Dad and me. You know? I… I guess I just wasn't used to sharing him. In all his previous relationships, I never had to share him before. He's never been _that_ in love, not even with my mom."

Lanie helped Alexis navigate around the financial issues in accessing Castle's accounts, and together they had begun to build a little network that she hoped would eventually help them find Castle and Beckett. Lanie was toying with approaching Esposito with the idea of calling in some favors from his old Army buddies to provide them the means to better resources. With help from Castle's lawyer, they'd gotten the FAA to give them access to all the files and reports pertaining to the missing flight, including the precise GPS coordinates of the plane's last known location. All they needed was permission to use a satellite to survey those coordinates and the surrounding area.

She glanced up at Esposito, watching him battle with his inner feelings. Now wasn't the time to ask him, but later, when they went back to her apartment, she'd discuss it with him.

"Sorry, Javi," Ryan said with apologetic eyes. "I know you're hurting too. We all are, just as Lanie said."

"I know, bro… I know," Esposito answered in a strained voice as he struggled to reign in his emotions. He squeezed her hand tighter, flicking his eyes back to hers, seeking comforting from her.

The disappearance of Kate Beckett and Richard Castle had brought them back together, as they both sought solace in each other's familiar and comforting embrace. Lanie knew that it was still too early to label things, and for now she was okay with that. She could only smile inwardly at the image of Kate chiding her at being so noncommittal. But times were tough, and as a medical expert, Lanie understood that their emotions were still raw and clouded from grief of losing their friends.

Esposito had shown interest around last Christmas, and Lanie had been amenable to it. But if they started down that road again, she didn't want it to just be for late night booty calls. Having spent the better part of five years watching her best girl and writer boy go from stubborn denial to practically playing house had forced Lanie to look at her own love life, and what she wanted out of it. So, she was willing to see where this most recent shift in her relationship with Javier Esposito would take her.

"You think they're still alive?" Ryan asked tentatively, cautiously glancing up at his friends.

"No doubt, Kev," Esposito asserted, shaking his head at his colleague, very firm in his belief. "Have some faith, man. After all she's been through, do you really think Beckett's going to allow a little thing like a plane crash make her miss her own wedding?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Ryan bobbed his head. "Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." He paused, deep in thought. "They're probably on some tropical island, living it up."

Esposito nodded, chuckling slightly, his eyes brightening. "Yeah, I bet Castle's like Tom Hanks in _Castaway_, bumbling around all comically trying to survive."

Lanie smirked and raised an eyebrow, pleased for the brightening mood. She was growing tired of the somber gray clouds that followed them everywhere. She decided to play along with the boys, tease them a bit. "_Please_," she snorted, disagreeing with her man's assessment. "They're totally pulling a _Blue Lagoon_."

Ryan furrowed his brow in confusion and looked at Esposito, while the latter gave Lanie an appraising look. "What?"

Esposito scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It's a movie, bro. Brooke Shields. Running around naked and skinny-dipping. Seriously? You haven't seen it?"

"No," Ryan blinked, looking nervous. Lanie chuckled, shaking her head as he averted his blue eyes and blushed. She leaned forward and gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. Leave it to Kevin Ryan to still be the innocent one, despite his surprising undercover history.

"You and Jenny should rent it some time," she said.

"Okay," he bobbed his head hesitantly. "Maybe we will."

"Good," Lanie purred out, smiling wickedly, probably giving Ryan a fright. "After all, they were heading to Bora Bora to do just that," she inclined her head, getting back on topic.

"Yeah, I could see that," Esposito concurred with a brief nod, his eyes narrowing a bit. "The sexual tension was always so thick between those two."

"Perhaps too thick at times," Lanie grinned mischievously.

She remembered Kate's first day back on the job after her suspension. Despite trying to act all nonchalant, Detective Beckett couldn't suppress the glow she had about her. Her eyes were brighter and her lips were always curled up in a slight smile. Lanie knew that look. Her girlfriend was getting it… and, judging by her _very_ healthy glow, she was getting it _good_. It was all too clear to Lanie that a certain writer was responsible for that, because all of Kate's little tells would just seem to increase tenfold when he was nearby.

When Beckett and Castle arrived at the morgue during that first case, Lanie had tried calling them out on it, but Kate—that stubborn girl—played dumb. Though, after some playful harassing on Lanie's part, Kate eventually conceded that she was, in fact, seeing someone. Lanie found it laughable how they tried to cover it up, even to the point of Castle asking if he knew the guy. Those two weren't fooling anybody. And for 'just friends', they certainly stood very close together. Too close.

It had been so fun, and oh so entertaining, prying the details out of a squirming Kate during one of their girls' nights. She'd been sworn to secrecy, which she gladly gave. Besides, Kate soon acknowledged the benefits of having someone to talk things out with. Lanie really didn't know what she had gotten herself into when she'd agreed to be Kate's sounding board. Those two certainly had their issues—a lot of them—and Lanie sometimes felt like she was being pressed into service when Kate needed to vent.

She sighed. Despite the stress involved with being Kate Beckett's friend, Lanie really did miss her. And writer boy, for that matter. Rick Castle had often helped make her sometimes depressing job easier with his glib and lighthearted remarks. The man certainly knew how to tell a joke. And he made Kate laugh, not a fake laugh, but a real honest to God laugh. It was something that Lanie believed was lacking in all of Kate's previous romantic endeavors. And despite the many ups and downs those two went through, Lanie could tell that Kate was truly happy, probably for the first time in her adult life.

It had been nice, seeing Beckett and Castle's relationship develop from that adorably gross lovey-dovey phase to the solid and hopefully lasting union that Lanie had always prayed they'd reach. Took a few bumps to get there, that's for sure, but she believed that those obstacles had only made Kate and Rick stronger as a couple.

"Oh," Lanie squealed, a sudden thought coming to her. "They're probably making babies!"


	4. Esposito

**Cold Cases: A Solid Ground Companion**

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**Esposito**

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"They're probably making babies!" Lanie enthused, almost squealing. A smile flirted across Ryan's face, as he probably thought of his pregnant wife. Esposito, on the other hand, grimaced.

"Really, _chica_?" he questioned, dubious of such speculation. "I don't think Beckett would allow herself to get pregnant." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he looked at his on-again, off-again girlfriend.

Esposito wondered if Lanie was trying to subtly tell him something by superimposing her own desires and wants on Beckett and Castle. He knew that the disappearance of their friends had helped bring them back together, and he was secretly hoping that it would progress to more than just sharing a bed to comfort one another. Kate had been prodding him to patch up things with Lanie for a while, and truth be told, Esposito had already been thinking about it.

And what shocked him most was the fact that even the idea of having a baby with Lanie wasn't as frightening as it once had been. Now that… that was an unexpected development. He inwardly sighed, worried that he was growing soft. He flicked his eyes over to a smiling Kevin Ryan. It was all Mister Father-To-Be's fault, spreading his joy and happiness over everyone, infecting them with it… like the plague.

Lanie was shaking her head, narrowing her eyes at him as he thought. "_Men_," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "That's because you guys don't hear all sides of the story." She smirked at them. "You two only see what goes on here at the precinct. Kate and I have had plenty of talks, and believe me when I say that my girl wants to have a family with that man. Damn, he's fine."

"_He's fine_?" Esposito scoffed under his breath, glowering. "You sure she was talking about Castle?" He wasn't sure if he was more annoyed and uncomfortable with hearing snippets of Lanie and Kate's girl talk, or that his woman was, in a sense, calling Castle hot.

"What!? I'm a red-blooded woman," Lanie asserted, giving him a pointed look. He gulped, imagining she was already planning ways to punish him later that night. "Just because I call you over for a booty call once and a while doesn't mean I can't appreciate Castle's delectable backside. There's a reason the man's been in the top ten bachelor's list several years in a row. But our Kate's snatched him up. Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the view as he follows her like a lovesick puppy."

Ryan coughed, almost spitting out the coffee he was sipping. Lanie smirked and chuckled. Esposito simply grumbled under his breath and pretended to go back to reading his files, doing his best to suppress the embarrassed flush to his face. He was also a little worried with how Lanie just referred to their relationship. Was that all it was to her? A series of late night booty calls?

Beside him, Ryan was still coughing, his fair complexion flushed a bright red as his blue eyes darted back and forth between Esposito and Lanie, who was pretending to concentrate on the autopsy report in front of her.

"Come on, bro," Esposito groused, growing annoyed. "Not like you didn't know we'd gotten back together."

Ryan shrugged, looking like he wanted to get this awkward conversation over with. "Knowing and hearing about something are two very different things," he replied.

Esposito could sympathize. He wasn't really a fan of talking about relationships, especially his own. Ryan eventually calmed down, and turned his head, looking up at Lanie with a questioning look.

"So you really think they'd have kids together?" he asked, moving the conversation back to Castle and Beckett, much to Esposito's relief.

"Yeah, of course," Lanie said, in a softer tone. "Kate's not exactly getting any younger, so her biological clock will start to kick in… if it hasn't already. I'm not saying they'll come back with a brood of kids, but they'll definitely have them... at some point. At least two, at tops."

Esposito shook his head.

"What? You disagree?" Lanie questioned, giving him a challenging look.

"He's got something against it," Ryan shrugged his shoulders, glancing over at his friend before turning back to Lanie. "Last May when Kate was acting all weird, before we knew it had to do with that job offer, I suggested that she might be pregnant." His blue eyes flicked over to Esposito. "Javi shot that idea down quicker than a hummingbird can flap its wings."

"You got something against Kate and Castle having kids, Javier Esposito?" Lanie turned on him, crossing her arms as she stared him down.

Esposito gulped. He knew he was in trouble by her use of his full name. "I'm neither for nor against," he insisted, testily. "I just don't think Beckett would want kids. As long as I've known her, she'd never shown that much interest in having a family."

"Well, she's never had a relationship with a man like Castle before," Lanie countered.

To be honest, Esposito was actually a little surprised at his strong negative reaction when Ryan had made that suggestion last May. Later, he'd ignored the whole incident, because of the wonderful news Ryan had then told him about Jenny being pregnant. He was truly happy for his friend and partner. Ryan would make a great father, and Esposito was looking forward to being the fun _tío_ who'd spoil his nephew rotten.

"Still," Esposito pushed on, heedless of the danger he was walking into. "Beckett's had a tough go at it, and she knows what it's like out there in the real world. Even with Castle as support, I still don't think she'll want to have kids."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Esposito," Lanie declared, rolling her eyes and turning to Ryan. "See, this is why we broke up that first time around."

"What!?" Esposito hooted, feeling ganged up on. He leaned over and lowered his voice. "Lanie, we talked about this…"

"I know, baby," she smiled sweetly, patting his hand reassuringly with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "And we'll talk about it some more… later, at my place…," her voice dropped an octave, "_tonight_."

Esposito returned her smile, deciding that he'd play Lanie's game. After they had their fun tonight, he would surprise her with a little proposition of his own. They'd been having this on-again, off-again relationship for almost as long as Castle and Beckett had been dancing around in denial over theirs, so Esposito felt it was about time they talked about maybe moving in together.

"I see you are all hard at work," Gates' authoritarian voice interrupted them. Esposito glanced up with a mixture of shock and apprehension. He wondered how long the captain had been standing there, and how much she'd overheard. Lanie merely shrugged her shoulders and smirked. Ryan pretended to be busy reviewing a case file. Gates let her eyes roam over the trio, before she slowly reached inside her blazer and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, slamming it down on the table, causing both Ryan and Esposito to jump a little.

"Put me down for twenty on them having a baby," Gates declared, shocking them all.

"Why Captain Gates, I didn't know you were such a romantic," Lanie said, quickly pulling out her phone and making a note of the Captain's bet.

"I know a winning horse when I see one," the captain replied with a curt nod, decisive and unflinching. "And those two never had me fooled. I was surprised they even thought they could pull the wool over my eyes."

"They were kind of obvious," Ryan agreed.

"What!?" Esposito scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Ryan. "You didn't know a thing until that interrogation."

"Yeah, well… you didn't know until Tyson framed Castle! Even then, you had the gull to think he actually cheated on Beckett with the victim!"

"Dude, I was just following the evidence," Esposito tried to defend himself. Sometimes, he felt like the odd man out, which annoyed him, since he'd known Beckett the longest. To tell the truth, he'd been a little hurt that she hadn't told him that she'd finally gotten her head out of her ass and made a move on Castle. Esposito had been prodding her for years, having noticed the unmistakable attraction from the beginning.

"Well, I knew the moment they came back from Beckett's suspension," Lanie interjected. "Kate had this glow about her, and she thought she was being all sly with all her little looks and smiles in Castle's direction." She huffed out a light laugh. "Besides, my girl's had a thing for him since day one."

"How about you, sir?" Ryan asked, a little hesitant, risking gossip with Gates.

Gates leaned her hip against the conference table and crossed her arms as she thought. "To be honest, I thought they were already together when I first took up my posting here. Obviously I had been mistaken. But don't think I didn't notice Mr. Castle hovering outside my office last year when Detective Beckett asked for her badge back. Something had clearly changed between them. And, despite his annoying habits, I genuinely feel that the man is good for her."

"Same here," Lanie concurred.

Gates gave a firm nod. "So, win or lose that bet, I'll just be happy to have them back."

The captain pushed back and stepped towards the doorway, before stopping and turning back around. "Having said that, I'm afraid I'll have to ask one of you to clear out Detective Beckett's desk. The brass sympathizes with us, but 1PP feels its time to get a replacement and fill the gap in your team."

"Sir?" Ryan protested. Esposito knew his friend felt like doing so was akin to giving up.

Gates held up a hand to forestall any more complaints. "I know, Detective," she asserted. "I feel the same. No one can replace her, but we need someone to fill in while she's gone. So I really do need someone to clear out her desk and take her things to her family."

"I'll do it," Lanie offered, pushing out of her chair and standing up.

Gates looked at the Medical Examiner with a seldom seen soft side. "Much appreciated, Dr. Parish," she said, sharing a knowing look with Lanie, before snapping back into her captain mode and marching out the door. "Now, back to work."

Esposito let out a breath he'd been holding in. "You sure about that, _chica_?" he asked. "It's gotta be a hard. I can help if you want?"

"No, that's fine, Javier," Lanie replied, running a hand along his shoulder in an affectionate manner that didn't go unnoticed by Ryan. "I need to do this. When I'm done, I'll take it to Alexis. The poor girl is really missing her father and Kate."

Ryan and Esposito nodded. "We'll be here if you need anything, the former said.

"Yeah," Esposito concurred. "For anything."

"I know, Javi," Lanie replied, softly, before letting her hand fall from his shoulder.

He watched her leave the room, heading out the door in the direction of Beckett's desk. Esposito did not envy her. He was going to have a hard time accepting someone else in Beckett's place. But Captain Gates was right; their team was operating down a member, and did need the extra manpower to properly work cases.

Sighing, Esposito turned his attention back to the stack of cold cases. He reached up and grabbed the next file on the top of the pile. Lying it down on the table, he opened it and began reading the investigating officer's reports. As he read, his eyes grew wide. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was it possible? Could that bastard really have been that sloppy? He quickly shuffled through the file, looking over all the reports and photos within. If Beckett were here, she'd pounce on this. But times were different. They had been, since Beckett chose her life over revenge. He swallowed; making a decision that was going to affect them all. Captain Gates was going to have to be read in.

"Yo, dude," Esposito hissed out in a low voice, as not to be overheard. His heart pounded profoundly in his chest with the potential lead he'd just uncovered. Ryan glanced up and his brow furrowed in confusion. "I think we got something here."

* * *

_*That's it... hope you all enjoyed the brief look into how the precinct gang is faring. I couldn't resist putting that little foreshadowing at the end. Once again, I'd like to thank **codedriver** for the PM that inspired this little interlude._


End file.
